It’s once again the time of year where fire prevention becomes a major focus for the local area.
It is fire prevention week and Emporia Fire Marshall Reason Bradford says due to the COVID-19 pandemic the fire department will not be able to do all of its traditional prevention week activities this year. However; Bradford did join KVOE’s Newsmaker Two segment Monday to discuss proper fire safety and some of the most common causes for home fires.
According to Bradford, the number one cause of home fires is cooking. He says this is an important statistic to remember as the holiday season continues to draw near.
He explains Thanksgiving, to nobodies surprise, is the leading day of the year for home fires. He says with all of the hustle and bustle of the day it is very easy for individuals to become distracted leading to the potential of a fire developing.
Bradford says thankfully in recent years the Emporia Fire Department has not seen many house fires due to deep-frying of turkeys. Despite this, he says it does remain a major concern around the holiday season and residents need to ensure if they do use a deep fryer they do it in a safe area and never inside the home.
According to Bradford cooking-related fires are extremely dangerous due in part to how rapidly they can escalate. Thankfully he says there are a number of precautions residents can take to avoid a fire developing within the home.
Separately, Bradford reminds all residents to ensure they have their smoke detectors tested and check the batteries to ensure they are still functioning properly. Bradford says while EFD is trying to limit its crews’ risk of exposure to COVID-19, the fire department is still available to test or install smoke detectors if residents require.
Residents are also reminded that if you see smoke, anticipate a fire has started or is beginning and call 9-1-1.
